Hindu's Denied Tibetan Visas

"The Chinese government is refusing to issue visas to Hindus trying to
make the traditional summer pilgrimage to what they hold to be the
home of Lord Shiva in Tibet, forcing thousands to delay or cancel the
trip," reports the New York Times.

This pilgrimage is undertaken by many Hindu's and it's scenic beauty
and divinity put together far surpass it's arduousness.

Another excerpt--
"Starting in June, Hindus from Nepal and India embark on a multiweek
journey to the 22,000-foot Mount Kailash in the Himalayas and nearby
Lake Mapam Yutso, known in India as Lake Mansarovar. The trip, a
once-in-a-lifetime event for most who make it, includes treacherous
off-road drives and several days of arduous trekking, and is believed
to bring the traveler closer to the divine.
This year, though, the Chinese government is refusing to grant any
visas for travel to the Tibetan sites from Nepal, tour operators in
Nepal say. India's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Chinese
government had cited unspecified "domestic reasons."
At the same time, Beijing has retracted permission previously granted
to Indian pilgrims who were planning to make the trip in early June.
The Olympic torch is scheduled to go through Tibet's capital, Lhasa,
on June 20.
"I was planning for the last 10 years for this trip," said Rajendra
Goyal, 48, a Mumbai-based hardware trader whose trip has been
canceled. Mr. Goyal said he was on a rigorous diet and exercise
schedule for the last two months to make sure he was fit for the
mountain hiking involved.
"A pilgrim is a pilgrim, not an activist or a politician," he said. "I
am going there for religious faith, not to do any violence."

Read the full article at--
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/world/asia/21trek.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y&oref=slogin

And the most H1B goes to...

The controversy over visas for high-skilled workers from abroad looks
like it's about to get even hotter, says Business Week.

An excerpt --

"The program for what are known as H-1B visas was originally set up to
allow companies in the U.S. to import the best and brightest in
technology, engineering, and other fields when such workers are in
short supply in America. But data just released by the federal
government show that offshore outsourcing firms, particularly from
India, dominate the list of companies awarded H-1B visas in 2007.
Indian outsourcers accounted for nearly 80% of the visa petitions
approved last year for the top 10 participants in the program. The new
data are sure to fuel criticism of the visa program from detractors
such as Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Richard J. Durbin
(D-Ill.). "These numbers should send a red flag to every lawmaker that
the H-1B visa program is not working as it was intended," said
Grassley in an e-mail."

Read the full article at --
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_11/b4075062465238.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_best+of+bw

Reverse Brain Drain With a Difference

A very interesting feature by Scott Carney, on NPR talks about second
generation Indians who are moving back to India.

An excerpt --
"For second-generation Indian Americans, returning to their parents'
home country can be a cultural odyssey. As the Indian economy booms,
however, there are other reasons for American-born Indians to return
to their roots. The country that many of their parents fled for lack
of opportunity now needs their skills.

In 2006, the Indian government created a new immigration card for what
it calls OCI or "Overseas Citizens of India." With it,
second-generation Indians can have visa-free entry for life. Since
2006, the government has issued more than 200,000 OCI cards."

Read and listen to the full feature at --
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87884391

Increasing Number of Illegal Indian Immigrants

An opinion piece in the LA Times says that number of Indian illegal
immigrants are on teh rise and this will not improve unless there is
immigration reform.

An excerpt--
"The San Jose Mercury News notes that the fastest growing group of
illegal immigrants comes not from a Spanish-speaking country but
rather from India.... The Indian number may be small and out of the
public eye (at least until, say, a particularly heart-wrenching
deportation story, or until tech workers start standing around office
parks hawking consulting services), but these growth trends are likely
to continue as long as there's no immigration reform."

Read the full piece at--
http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2008/02/the-new-illegal.html